Does robotic rectal cancer surgery improve the results of experienced laparoscopic surgeons? An observational single institution study comparing 168 robotic assisted with 184 laparoscopic rectal resections

Background The role of robotic assistance in colorectal cancer surgery has not been established yet. We compared the results of robotic assisted with those of laparoscopic rectal resections done by two surgeons experienced in laparoscopic as well as in robotic rectal cancer surgery.